What Is a Myers’ Cocktail?

Author

Dr. Stephen Cosentino

Intravenous vitamin therapy is an increasingly popular anti-aging treatment that can be performed in an outpatient setting with no anesthesia and few side effects.

Of all the vitamin therapies out there, the Myers’ cocktail is probably the best-known. Proponents claim a host of benefits for patients’ energy levels, mood, and immune system function.

Before you rush to find a Myers cocktail supplier, learn more about this particular IV therapy and how it fits into a broader anti-aging regimen.

What Is a Myers’ Cocktail?

A Myers’ cocktail is a specially formulated vitamin and mineral treatment that is delivered intravenously into the bloodstream. The exact mix and proportion of ingredients may vary, but the key inputs include:

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Vitamin B12, often as hydroxocobalamin
Other B-complex vitamins, including pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
Calcium, which helps build bone mass and may assist cardiac function
Zinc, an immune-boosting mineral
Magnesium, an essential mineral with a variety of potential health benefits (usually added as magnesium carbonate)
Glutathione, an immune-boosting antioxidant
Dexpanthenol, which promotes epithelial health

Myers’ cocktails may also include vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds as well.

Benefits & Efficacy of Myers’ Cocktail IV Therapy

Myers’ cocktail infusion therapy was invented by John Myers, a Baltimore-based physician, in the 1980s. It wasn’t widely used outside Myers’ practice until the early 2000s, when former Myers colleague Alan Gaby began promoting a reformulated version.

Myers’ and Gaby’s patients swore by the cocktail back then, as have thousands more patients since. But do these vitamin infusion IV treatments really work?

While clinical evidence is mixed, many patients report significant improvements in energy, mood, immune function, and overall health following treatment. Providers recommend Myers’ cocktails to treat specific conditions like:

Chronic fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Upper respiratory tract infections
Blood cell disorders

Myers’ cocktails may also help patients who require intravenous hydration due to dehydration or other conditions.

Patients generally respond well to administration, with few side effects or complications from the cocktail itself. The highest incidence of side effects may occur due to the magnesium component, which is associated with dizziness and nausea. A slower drip rate may lessen these symptoms.

Specific benefits of Myers’ cocktails include:

Reduction in muscle weakness associated with certain conditions, including hyperthyroidism
Improvement in energy levels in people with chronic fatigue
Reduction of pain in people with fibromyalgia and certain muscular disorders
Reduction of muscle spasms
Improvement in sleep duration and quality

Finding a Myers’ Cocktail Supplier

Providers typically source Myers’ cocktail ingredients or preformulated IV bags or push drips from compounding pharmacies and other licensed medical supply companies.

These service providers mix sterile equipment and quality-controlled vitamin and mineral formulations to patients’ specifications. Generally, a prescription from a board-certified physician, dentist, or midlevel provider (such as a PA or NP) is required to fill the order.

Because different patients have different needs and some providers prefer custom formulations themselves, it’s important to work closely with your supplier rather than accept an “off the shelf” alternative.